Level.



B. F. DAVIS.

LEVEL.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.18, 1911.

' Patented r; 16,

{I TE il STATES ATENT anion BURT F. DAVIS, 0F JACKSON, OHIO,

ASSIGNOR TO LOUIS H. HOLLIBERG, 0F JACKSON,

1 OHIO.

LEVEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 1c, 1912.

Application filed December 18, 1911. Serial No. 666,379.

description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to measuring 1nstruments, and more especially to levels; and the object of the same is to produce an instrument of this character by means of which a horizontal or any desired angle thereto can be instantly found and accurately determined without the necessity for employing the usual closed tube of glass, commonly found in spirit levels. This and other objects are accomplished by the construction described in the. following specification and illustrated in the drawings wherein- Figure 1 is a side elevation of this level complete. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the metal portion thereof removed from the stock and with the nearer face plate of glass removeth'the weight in this view being tilted so that the two hands are not in alinemcnt.

Fig. 3 is a central vertical longitudinal sectional' view, and Fig.4 is a cross section on the line lr-tf of Fig 3.

In the drawings the letter W designates the stock or body which is usually of wood and stands horizontal when this-device is to be used for a level or vertical when it. is to be used as a plumb, and through a transverse hole at about the center of the length of this wooden member passes a'metallic member M fitting tightly in said hole and made in the shape of an open-ended cylinder whose-extremities are covered'by glass disks G which are preferably ground or rendered otherwise opaque ezgceptin'g for a clear space C at the centera; and; between said panes or disks G and within thecylinder M is located the leveling mechanism proper.

Coming now details of the present invention, the numeral 1 designates a ring fitting closely but revolubly Within the cylinder M and Epreferably having on its side edgesl abopt four 7 marks 2 setl quartering to each other and which move adjacent a graduated scale 3 inscribed on each edge of the metallic cylinmore particularlyl to the der M. Pivoted at 4 in the latter is the eccentric head 5'0f a brake or check Whose shaft carries a thumb piece or latch 6 at one extremity moving over the face of the stock V whereby the head 5 may be turned to throw it into contact with the exterior of the ringl when any mark 2 on the latter stands opposite a graduation on the scale 3 as desired. I describe this type of brake or check but any other form of the same may be employed. At diametrically opposite points within the ring 1 are eyes 7 in which are pivoted the outer ends of two hands 8 which extend normally toward each other and have arrow heads 9 at their inner ends as seen, and the bodies of these hands have longitudinal slots 10 by means of which they are swung around their pivots 7.. It is obvious that when the" extremities of the heads 9 stand in true alinement as seen in Fig. 1, a true horizontal would be designated by the marks 2 at the right and left of the ring 1 and if the same were in register with the proper marks on thescale 3 the device would become a level; whereas, by turning the stock 90 so that the lateral marks 2 on the ring register with other indications on the scale 3 quartering to those just described, the device becomes a plumb, and at points between these extremes the body may be .used to find any desired angle.

The means for oscillating the hands on their pivots 7 consist of a weight preferably having a curved or arcuate lower end 11 standing within the ring 1 and from whose center rises an upright shank 12 having a triangular transverse eye 13 through it, and from opposite sides of said shank project arms 14 whose extremities are upturned and forked'as shown at 15, and the arms of each fork are connected by a transverse pin 16 which moves loosely in one of the slots 10. This weight is supported upon a knife edge 17' extending transyersely through said triangular eye 13 and having lugs 18 rising at Seem-in Fig. 1 and thus the j is, obvious,

aerator: des res to ascertain a vertical or 5 site zero as seen. The olgeratorjpl-aws the.

. 1 sto'ck upon some object t t is supposed to y be level, and gravity causes the shank of the weight 11 to hang vertically beneath the knife-edged fulcrum 17 so that its arms 14 1Q "stand {horizontal and the pins 16 through heir forks cause the two hands 8 to stand horizontal with the points of their 9 in exact alinement or register as V k I device is used 15 a's ale vel and will find .a horizontal with extreme accuracy. If the object thus'tested jis; not horizontal and the weight swings a [little to one side of a vertical, one pin 16 w ll be-Iaised and the other depressed and 2Q f one jha'nd thereby raised around its pivot 7 ;,-and,the other depressed, and as the slots 10 are relatively nearer tosaid pivots 7 than theyare to the points of the heads 9, the

fsjlight'movement of the Weight will be amp1ifi d into a considerable nr ement of the arrowheads so that the fact that they do ,not acc'urately register will be readily ob- 'servable'throughthe glass. The construcf ti on therefore renders the instrument ex- SOKtremelydeIiCate. and the purpose of carryl'ing the arms 14 laterally out from the'shank l2 and locating the pins 16 near the pivots Supposing now'that the opplumb ,line, hehas' but to throw off the ffbrake whichis accomplished by moving the finger or hand piece 6 so that the eccentric a; head no longer engages the ring 1, and when he turns the stock V upright the weight will 40 earr'y the' entire ring 1 around within the a cylindrical member M until one of the scale marks 2' has moved 90 over the scale 3.

The brake orl check is then reapplied to hold thering yl in this adjusted position, 45.;a'nd theactionl of the movable parts is as gabove describei v v 'W'hatlis clai ed as new is;

1.'-.In an instrument of the classdescribed, heEcombinationwith a stock, an open-ended aqnc'ylinder passing through the body of the ,j-ISlOCk. and having scales inscribed on its ex- V --"trem,ities,:and a brake device within the wall s;o-.-'the;cylinder; v of a ring mounted loosely :evvithinajsaid cylinder and having :quartering-to each other on both 'extremi w glass disks 'oversaid'extremities, two

within-" aid ring on a-true diameter thereofi} ihandsupivoted' at their outerextremities the combination with a stock, an open-ended cylinder passing through the body of the stock and having scales inscribed on its extremitie's, and a brake device within said cylinder consisting of a shaft rotatably mounted in its wall parallel with its axis,

an eccentric head secured upon the inner end of said shaft, and a thumb-piece on its outer end; of a ring mounted loosely Within said cylinder and having marks on its extremities,fitwo hands pivoted at their outerextremities withinsaid ring on a true diameter thereof, and a pendulum connected with the hands. and bringing their inner extremities into register when their pivots stand in a horizontal plane. g

3. In a level, the combination with a stock having a transverse opening, a ring therein having eyes at diametrically opposite points, and two hands whereof each has its outer extremity pivoted in one of said eyes, its

body provided with a longitudinal slot adjacent said pivot, and its inner end pointed; of a weight pivotally supported within said ring and having arms diverging laterally from the pivot and forked, and a pin through the fork of each arm and loosely engaging in one of said slots.

4. In a level; the combination with a stock having a transverse circular opening, a ring mounted therein and having pivots at diametrically opposite points, and two hands whereof each has its outer extremity mounted on one of said-pivots, its body provided with a longitudinal slot adjacent said pivot, and its inner end pointed: of a standard rising from the bottom of said ring and having a knife edge at its upper end with two lugs rising from the edge ll'iereo'l, a weight having a heavy arcualc lower end, ail-upright shank pierced with a triangular eye hung on. said knife odgc between the lugs, and two horizontal arms having their outer ends upturned and 't'orkcd. and a pin through each fork and loosely engaging in one of said slots. 7.

lntcstimonv whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses. v I

nun'r F. Dav s. Witnesses: I

Lotus Il. IIOLLBERG, I EyA'N Er-EUBANKS. 

